Cherry laurel plant named ‘Jong3’

ABSTRACT

A new cherry laurel plant particularly distinguished by being winter hardy, having healthy growth, and a compact and bushy habit, is disclosed.

Genus and species: Prunus laurocerasus.

Variety denomination: ‘Jong3’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new and distinct variety of cherry laurel plant, botanically known as Prunus laurocerasus, and hereinafter referred to by the variety name ‘Jong3’. ‘Jong3’ originated from an open-pollination conducted in Biezenmortel, The Netherlands in 2006 between unknown and unpatented Prunus laurocerasus plants.

The seeds from the cross were sown and plants were grown outdoors for evaluation, where an individual plant designated ‘Jong3’ was selected from the group of plants in Biezenmortel, The Netherlands in May 2007. In October 2007, ‘Jong3’ was first vegetatively propagated by softwood cuttings. ‘Jong3’ was found to reproduce true to type in successive generations of asexual propagation via softwood cuttings.

SUMMARY

The following are the most outstanding and distinguishing characteristics of this new variety when grown under normal horticultural practices in The Netherlands.

-   -   1. Winter hardy;     -   2. Healthy growth; and     -   3. Compact and bushy habit.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

This new cherry laurel plant is illustrated by the accompanying photographs which shows the plant's overall plant habit including form, and foliage. The photographs are of a three-year-old plants grown outdoors in The Netherlands in March 2015. The colors shown are as true as can be reasonably obtained by conventional photographic procedures.

FIG. 1 shows the overall plant habit of ‘Jong3’.

FIG. 2 shows a close-up of an individual leaf.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW VARIETY

The following detailed descriptions set forth the distinctive characteristics of ‘Jong3’. The data which define these characteristics were collected from asexual reproductions carried out in The Netherlands. Data was collected on two-year-old plants grown outdoors in The Netherlands in March 2015. The range of day temperatures was 10° C. to 25° C. and the range of night temperatures was 6° C. to 14° C. Color references are to The R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society of London (R.H.S.), 5^(th) edition (2007).

-   Classification:     -   -   Family.—Rosaceae.         -   Botanical.—Prunus laurocerasus.         -   Common.—Cherry laurel; English laurel.         -   Designation.—‘Jong3’. -   Plant:     -   -   Type.—Perennial, evergreen shrub.         -   Time to produce a finished plant.—About 2.5 years from             rooted cuttings.         -   Appropriate container for producing a finished plant.—1.5             liter containers and larger or field-grown.         -   Plant shape.—Broad inverted triangle.         -   Growth habit.—Broad upright.         -   Average plant height.—72.0 cm.         -   Average plant diameter.—74.5 cm.         -   Growth rate.—About 20.0 cm per season as a pot-grown young             plant.         -   Vigor.—Moderate.         -   High temperature tolerance.—Unknown, but tolerant to             temperatures up to 35° C.         -   Low temperature tolerance.—Unknown, but at least hardy to             USDA Zone 6.         -   Disease/pest resistance and susceptibility.—Unknown. -   Branches:     -   -   Habit.—Moderate.         -   Basal branching.—Present.         -   Pinching.—Not required but will improve branching.         -   Number of lateral branches per plant.—11 main branches and 3             lateral branches per main branch; the botanical             characteristics are the same as for both the main and             lateral branches.         -   Branch length (both main and lateral).—Average is 17.0 cm.         -   Branch diameter (both main and lateral).—Average is 4.0 mm.         -   Internode length (both main and lateral).—Average is 2.0 cm.         -   Appearance and shape.—Rounded; young branches are slightly             angled towards the top; slightly glossy.         -   Aspect.—Lateral stems have an average angle of 60 degrees to             the main stem; when pinched, the young lateral branches just             below the pinching point grow an average angle of 30 degrees             to the main branch.         -   Strength.—Very strong.         -   Color.—Younger branches are RHS 144B (Yellow-green); older             branches are RHS 199B (Grey-brown).         -   Pubescence.—Absent. -   Leaves:     -   -   General.—At the base of each leaf, there are an average of 2             (occasionally 1 or 3) glands that are visible on the lower             surface, with 1 gland on each side of the main leaf vein;             the diameter of each gland is 1.0 mm; the color of each             gland is RHS 146C to RHS 146D (Yellow-green); the presence             of these glands is typical for this species and the gland             shape is obovate.         -   Arrangement.—Alternate, single.         -   Number of leaves per branch.—Average is 10.         -   Shape.—Elliptic and narrow elliptic to obovate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Acute.         -   Margin.—Slightly to moderately revolute; entire.         -   Length.—Average is 8.5 cm.         -   Width.—Average is 3.8 cm.         -   Texture.—Smooth; upper surface is very glossy; lower surface             is slightly glossy.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Venation color (both upper and lower surfaces).—RHS 144A             (Yellow-green).         -   Color.—Immature: Upper surface: Between RHS 144B             (Yellow-green). Lower surface: Between RHS 144C             (Yellow-green) and RHS 145A (Yellow-green). Mature: Upper             surface: Between RHS N137A (Dark-green) to RHS 147A             (Yellow-green), but closest to RHS N137A and darker. Lower             surface: Between RHS 146B (Yellow-green).         -   Petiole.—Length: Average is 1.4 cm. Diameter: Average is             0.2 cm. Color: RHS 144A (Yellow-green). Texture: Smooth.         -   Durability of foliage to stresses.—High.         -   Fragrance.—Typical of species. -   Flowers/seed/fruit: Not observed to date.

COMPARISON WITH COMMERICAL VARIETY

‘Jong3’ can be distinguished between the commercial variety ‘Antonius’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 26,314) in Table 1.

TABLE 1 Comparison with Commercial Variety Characteristic ‘Jong3’ ‘Antonius’ Internode length 2.0 cm 8.0 cm Color of young Light orange/ Red shoots shoots green shoots Habit Less compact and More compact more spreading than ‘Jong3’ than ‘Antonius’ 

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Prunus laurocerasus plant designated ‘Jong3’ as illustrated and described herein. 